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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147878">memories (of those i used to know)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoccerSarah01/pseuds/SoccerSarah01'>SoccerSarah01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(every kozuki other than momo is mentioned only), Gen, Grief/Mourning, I cried writing this so that was fun, Past Character Death, Wano Arc (One Piece), idk what it says about me that this is my first published fic but it's probably not good</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:35:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoccerSarah01/pseuds/SoccerSarah01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(Chapter 988 Spoilers)</p><p>Biting back tears at the reminder of his late mother, Momo says, “Thank you for helping to protect me.”</p><p>The figure glances down, not pausing in their steps as they say, “Well, of course, you are my son after all.”</p><p>Momo’s brain short-circuits after they say that, because <em>what?!</em></p><p>Or: My theory for what may happen if Yamato tells Momo he is Oden.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Momonosuke &amp; Kozuki Toki &amp; Kozuki Oden &amp; Hiyori, Momonosuke &amp; Yamato</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>memories (of those i used to know)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys! So this fic stemmed from a discussion me and a couple of friends had in a discord server a couple of days ago about what would happen if Yamato tells Momo he's Oden, and, well...this happened.</p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Here! Take him!”</p><p>Momo yelps as he switches hands once again, moving from Shinobu’s familiar ones to unfamiliar ones. He looks up to see a face he’s never seen before, and confusion fills him as the figure takes him further away from the chaos. He’s grateful, though – he doesn’t want to be anywhere close to the absolute <em>monsters</em> fighting around him. And his mother never raised him to be rude.</p><p>(At least, while she still had the chance).</p><p>Biting back tears at the reminder of his late mother, Momo says, “Thank you for helping to protect me.”</p><p>The figure glances down, not pausing in their steps as they say, “Well, of course, you are my son after all.”</p><p>Momo’s brain short-circuits after they say that, because <em>what?!</em> His mom is dead, he knows that, but he still has to fight back the hope that had flared at those words. He looks up into the figure’s face, and instantly his hopes are crushed. His mom has (had. Had, he reminds himself) dark hair, while this figure has blonde hair. His mother had one of the kindest faces he had ever known, while this figure looks almost indifferent as they carry him to safety. And his dad…</p><p>He shakes his head from those thoughts and says, “Excuse me? My parents are not you…they’re dead!” He chokes out, the memories from the last night before everything changed flashing before his eyes. His father had been so happy, goofing off with him and Hiyori (and god, he misses his sister so much. The way she would light up the room with just her smile, the way she laughed at everything that delighted her, making everyone else happy around her, even the way she used to flying-kick him). His mother was laughing right along with them. It was a good day.</p><p>(<em>It’s all gone now,</em> he thinks as he chokes back another round of tears.)</p><p>He is shaken from his thoughts as they halt, now away from the action. The figure puts him down and looks at him as if <em>he</em> was the dumb one, saying, “Well, of course I’m your father. I’m Oden after all.”</p><p>“No, you’re not!” The figure looks surprised, perhaps not expecting an eight-year-old to scream at them. Momo can’t bring himself to care as tears start creeping out of his eyes yet again.</p><p>(Momo remembers his time on Roger’s ship with his father, mother, and sister, feeling the sea breeze on his cheeks and freedom singing in his veins. Remembers his father, always at his side, supporting him as they look out onto the sea. Remembers bidding his father goodbye with his mother, sad but excited for him to return. Remembers his arrival back, how excited he had been and how much he had missed him. Remembers all the moments together, playing games and making crafts for him. Remembers pure love, unconditional and true, filling every interaction.)</p><p>(Remembers finding out he was going to be executed. Remembers knowing he was dead when Kaido showed up and choked him, not even being able to cry through the hold. Remembers being tossed twenty years into the future with the only thing left from his father being memories and his name.)</p><p>(This figure could <em>never</em> stand in for his father.)</p><p>“MY FATHER IS DEAD! MY FATHER WAS EXECUTED FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING! YOU COULD <em>NEVER</em> BE HIM! He is a <em>thousand </em>times better than you, <em>poser!"</em> Momo chokes out the last word, no longer able to speak through his tears, sobs shaking his small body. He faintly notices the poser staring at him in shock, hints of guilt appearing on their face. He turns away from them, gut-wrenching sobs continuing to wrack his body. He misses his home. He misses his mom. He misses his sister. He misses the Scabbards as he had known them.</p><p>But, most of all, he misses his dad. He wraps his arms around his knees, burying his head in them as everything fades around him, the faint sounds of battle fading into nothing.</p><p>“I WANT MY DAD BACK!” He wails to the sky, and the last thing he remembers before caving to the pain and emotion is his father’s smile and mother’s laugh, blanketing him in a love he will never experience again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <strike>Will I ever not be sad about the Kozuki family? Nope.</strike>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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